The Department of Agriculture (DA) is pouring funds to help onion farmers as the country reels from a supply shortage.

Weeks after onion prices in public markets shot up, the government unveiled its plans to pour P100 million worth of direct aid and other interventions to boost local onion production, which will be cascaded through farmers’ cooperatives and associations.

DA’s Philippine Onion Industry Roadmap 2021–2025 targets to increase onion production from 229,539 metric tons (MT) to 279,270 metric tons (MT) in the next five years.

Of the amount, P47.48 million is programmed this 2022 for the distribution of seedlings and to subsidize fertilizer, the prices of which have skyrocketed amid the Russia-Ukraine war.

Still, restaurants are already reeling from the shortage and have taken out menu items needing onion due to limited and expensive supply available.



No more tears: DA allots P100M to boost local onion production
Source: Filipino Daily Inquirer